Some interesting points from Klaus Brand

[Kung Fu Wang]

the momentum adds power to your punching.

Dynamic punch is always more powerful than static punch.

The "sliding step" has the following issues.

- If you start from a side way stance, when you step in your leading leg, you can't step in very far. If you coordinate your punch with your leading leg, your reach can be limited.
- If you coordinate your punch with your back leg, when you step in your leading leg, your punch has not been fully issued yet. Your opponent may have a chance to foot sweep your leading leg right at that moment.
- When you slide in your back leg, it makes this footwork to be 2 steps instead of 1 step (1 is always better than 2).

How do you solve those issues?

If we look at this video and assume he starts with side stance. His footwork really is:

1. Move back foot in front of front foot (full step).
2. Move back foot forward to touch leading foot (half step).
3. Move the leading foot forward after that (half step).

1 is normal walking step. 2 and 3 are "skipping step" (step, hop).

 

[wckf92]

When you do the sliding step - front foot step in, back foot slide in, do you coordinate your punch with your leading foot landing, or with your back foot sliding?

Both. But bio-mechanically they are two different methods. One powered by inertia, one powered by opposing forces. Both of which are ideas expressed in the forms and jong.

 

[APL76]

Not telling but suggesting. The person who taught me the WC system did not emphasize the footwork training.

Old saying said, "You may not find any opening to attack. As long as you keep moving, soon or later you will find opening to attack."

Old saying also said, "After a teacher has taught his students the footwork, those students will have chance to defeat their teacher after that."

So, footwork training can make big difference.

That's fair enough, and I don't mean to sound like a di*&k, after all, as far as I have seen footwork is typically not really an emphasised feature of a lot of Wing Chun, so it's understandable that you might not have seen that kind of training for Wing Chun.

That said though, it is out there, though we'd do it with the sliding step combined with the circling leg from Bui Ji. We do also have more of a stepping way of doing footwork too, mind you, which can be done similar to this too.

When you do the sliding step - front foot step in, back foot slide in, do you coordinate your punch with your leading foot landing, or with your back foot sliding?

Generally wed land the punch as the back foot and hips land in place.

 

[APL76]

Dynamic punch is always more powerful than static punch.

The "sliding step" has the following issues.

- If you start from a side way stance, when you step in your leading leg, you can't step in very far. If you coordinate your punch with your leading leg, your reach can be limited.
- If you coordinate your punch with your back leg, when you step in your leading leg, your punch has not been fully issued yet. Your opponent may have a chance to foot sweep your leading leg right at that moment.
- When you slide in your back leg, it makes this footwork to be 2 steps instead of 1 step (1 is always better than 2).

How do you solve those issues?

If we look at this video and assume he starts with side stance. His footwork really is:

1. Move back foot in front of front foot (full step).
2. Move back foot forward to touch leading foot (half step).
3. Move the leading foot forward after that (half step).

1 is normal walking step. 2 and 3 are "skipping step" (step, hop).

certainly, everything has pros and cons, which is why the sliding step with heun bo from bui ji is one among a few different methods of stepping available to someone who does wing chun.

The sliding step is limited in range? Sure, but for what it is used for it is entirely adequate. if you need a longer step the footwork from the knife form is probably more suitable.

Leading leg vulnerable to sweeps, Sure is, that's why we train to do sweeps and also train to minimise the risk of having it done to us.

Sliding making the step a two-step movement? This is where your knowledge of wing chun falls short. The stepping is done more as a one beat movement because it's driven by Jun Ma (the turning stance) which is a single beat.

 

[Callen]

The sliding step is limited in range? Sure, but for what it is used for it is entirely adequate. if you need a longer step the footwork from the knife form is probably more suitable.

The "sliding step" has the following issues.

Another option is to not "slide step" ( drag step ) at all. In some VT groups, the footwork mechanics are the same through-out the entire system, regardless of the size ( distance ) or speed of the step. In this way of thinking, the BJD footwork are simply longer steps.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Sliding making the step a two-step movement? This is where your knowledge of wing chun falls short. The stepping is done more as a one beat movement because it's driven by Jun Ma (the turning stance) which is a single beat.

Do you have any video to show "1 beat"?

If you coordinate your punch with your

1. leading foot landing, that's 1 beat.
2. back foot landing, that's 2 beats.

When you do 2, you step in (beat 1), you then slid in and punch (beat 2).

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

If you use right leg forward, left leg backward fighting stance, when you move in, should you move your leading right leg first, or should you move your back left leg first?

The moment that you step in your leading leg, the moment that you and your opponent's distance has been reduced. Your opponent can kick you right at that moment.

When you move your back leg next to your leading leg, the distance between you and your opponent has not been changed yet. If your opponent is too far to kick you before, now, it's still too far to kick you.

The "skipping step" that you move your back leg first is a much safter footwork to be used.

The "skipping step" is like the jumping front kick, you don't have to wait for your back foot to land, your front foot can move. IMO, it's much faster than the "sliding step" and also can cover more distance.

 

[APL76]

Another option is to not "slide step" ( drag step ) at all. In some VT groups, the footwork mechanics are the same through-out the entire system, regardless of the size ( distance ) or speed of the step. In this way of thinking, the BJD footwork are simply longer steps.

Yeah that's a good point actually now you mention it. I say slide step, but that's more a training device, in application you can pick the feet up and step no problem.
And the way I was taught the footwork from the knives is quite a large step anyway, we tend to sink lower with the feet further apart with about a 60/40 weight distribution favoring the rear foot. This produces a wider stance and hence a bigger step which we see as necessary when using the knives.

 

[APL76]

If you use right leg forward, left leg backward fighting stance, when you move in, should you move your leading right leg first, or should you move your back left leg first?

The moment that you step in your leading leg, the moment that you and your opponent's distance has been reduced. Your opponent can kick you right at that moment.

When you move your back leg next to your leading leg, the distance between you and your opponent has not been changed yet. If your opponent is too far to kick you before, now, it's still too far to kick you.

The "skipping step" that you move your back leg first is a much safter footwork to be used.

The "skipping step" is like the jumping front kick, you don't have to wait for your back foot to land, your front foot can move. IMO, it's much faster than the "sliding step" and also can cover more distance.

And with the skipping step, for that moment you have both feet off the ground you are entirely vulnerable to a range of things.

Point is to understand the strengths and weaknesses of everything, understand the situations in which the benefit outweighs the risk and make sure you can do them well enough that your risk is minimised further